Different Types of Horse Race | UK Horse Racing Explained Grand National Betting Tips The Types of UK Horse Races When you first start betting on horseracing, you'll notice that there are a number of different types of race that you can bet on. Below is our comprehensive round-up of all the different types of horse races that you're likely to come across when betting on horses. The Steeplechase Steeplechases are usually run over a distance of between 2 and 4 miles and have larger jumps than those in a Hurdle. The jumps on a Steeplechase course must be at least 4.5 feet high and are fixed, so that they don't collapse like those in a Hurdle. Steeplechases are therefore more suitable for more experienced horses and horses cannot take part in Steeplechases until July 1 in the year of their fourth birthday. The most famous Steeple Chase in British horseracing is the Grand National, which is held annually at Aintree. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is also a Steeple Chase.

The Hurdle Hurdles are run over a minimum distance of 2 miles but can be run up to a distance of about 3 miles. The jumps in a Hurdle race must be at least 3.5 feet high but they tend to be smaller than jumps in Steeplechase races and collapse more easily. Therefore, Hurdles tend to be more suitable for less experienced horses than Steeplechases, although horses cannot take part in Hurdles until July 1 in the year of their third birthday. Famous Hurdle races include the Stan James Intermediate Hurdle which is held at Newbury's Hennessey Meeting, and the Champion Hurdle which is held at the Cheltenham Festival. The All-Weather Race All-weather horse racing is a relatively new type of racing in the UK. Horses race in purpose-built all-weather racing stadiums on artificial ground. Although all-weather races can be run throughout the year, they are generally run in the winter. There aren't many all-weather tracks in the UK at the moment, but more are being built so all-weather races are likely to become a more regular feature of the British horseracing calendar.

The Jump Race Jump Races are also often known as National Hunt races and are races in which horses have to jump over obstacles such as fences, ditches and water jumps. Traditionally the jump-racing season has taken place during winter and spring, but nowadays the season runs for longer than this. The Flat Race Flat races are races in which the horses race over a long stretch of grass with no fences, open ditches or water jumps. The season runs throughout the summer and autumn. Flat-racing courses are usually shorter than jump-racing courses. Epsom is a flat racing course. Although flat racing, jump racing and all-weather racing are the three main categories of horserace in the UK, there are also many other types of race that you will come across within these categories. Handicap Races In handicap races, horses of different abilities compete against each other, so in order to make the race fairer and more entertaining, each horse is allocated a weight to carry depending upon its ability. In most cases, the handicaps are based on a horse's official rating, which is checked after each race it takes part in and may change depending on how well it has done.

The ratings are stored on computer at Weatherby's, and when a horse competes in a handicap race, the computer allocates an appropriate handicap, which is then checked by the official handicapper. The official handicapper also allocates handicaps to competing horses that don't have an official rating. The horse with the highest rating is allocated the top weight available, and all other horses are allocated weights in comparison to that depending on ability. Bumper Races Although National Hunt races are usually jump-races, there are also National Hunt Flat Races, known as “bumpers”. Bumpers usually feature young horses and are designed to give them experience. Traditionally, bumper races also tended to feature amateur jockeys, but now you will find experienced jockeys competing as well. The most famous bumper in British horseracing takes place at the Cheltenham Festival. Amateur Races A horse race which is only open to amateur jockeys. You can spot an amateur rider on your race card because his or her name will be prefixed by their title, e.g. Mr, Mrs, Miss etc.

Claiming Races Claiming races are races which are essentially used to buy and sell horses as the horses running in a claiming race can be bought (or “claimed”) by another trainer after the race. In claiming races, the trainers effectively give their own horses a handicap of their choice, as the horses are weighted to reflect their perceived value.Claiming races are used primarily to give horses a chance to win, as the current owner can also claim the horse for themselves at the end of the race. However, they are becoming more popular as a genuine way of selling racehorses. Point-to-Point Point-to-Point races are steeplechases which are only open to amateur jockeys. The Point-to-Point season runs from January until June each year. Sometimes Point-to-Point races can provide you with an indication of the horses that are likely to be future jump-racing stars. Hunter Chases Hunter chases are steeplechases which are only open to horses which have been hunted regularly and are qualified to compete in point-to-point races. Apprentice Races Apprentice races are only open to apprentice jockeys. Apprenticeship to a stable is the first stage in becoming a flat-racing jockey.

The jump-racing equivalent of an apprentice is known as a conditional jockey. Apprentices are sometimes allowed to claim weight allowances depending on the rules of the specific race and their own racing experience. Novice Race The term Novice race is usually applied to National Hunt jump-races, and means that the race is only open to horses that have not won that particular type of race (e.g. steeplechase or hurdle) prior to that season. Conditions Race In this type of horse race, the horses carry set weights depending on specific factors such as their age, sex and racing history. Races which are not classed as handicap races are conditions races. One of the most famous conditions races is the Epsom Derby. Conditions races are also sometimes referred to as Weight-for-Age races. Stakes Races Stakes races are races that are usually run by experienced or high-quality horses and generally provide high prize money. They normally require an entrance fee, which is used to increase the size of the prize fund. Types of Jump Races | UK National Hunt Horse Racing Guide | HorseRacing.co.uk Types of Jump Races Want your site listed here? Contact Us .

Jump Races / National Hunt Races - Types of Jump Races There are two major categories in British National Hunt Racing , also referred to as Jump Racing; Hurdles and the Steeple Chase. Aside from these two classic varieties of jump racing exist so-called Bumper races, which are National Hunt Flat Races. Hurdle In this type of race the horse is required to jump obstacles, the so-called hurdles, which are over three and a half feet high, while it runs a set distance. A hurdle race features a minimum of eight hurdles over a minimum distance of two miles. Horses competing in hurdling races are often former flat race contenders; and the hurdling horse, once it has gained experience on the obstacle course, often moves on to the compete in the Steeple Chase. Hurdles races are divided - according to age or experience of the contender and distance of the race - into the following categories: 2 Mile Juvenile 3+ Mile Novice 3+ Mile Open The 'Juvenile' category is only open to three-year-olds if the race takes place in October-December; or to four-year-olds for races between January and April.

A 'Novice' event may only be entered by a horse who has not yet won a race at the beginning of the jump race season. After the first race of the season the horse may compete in the novice races even after winning, so long as it was without a first place at the beginning of the season. 'Open' races, as the name suggests, are open to all horses of all ages. Steeple Chase This is a race for the more experienced jumper, as the obstacles on the course are not limited to hurdles. In a Steeple Chase Race the obstacles can also include a 'plain fence', the 'water jump', and an 'open ditch'. The plain fence measures at least 4 foot and six inches in height on the take-off side, the side from which the horse approaches and takes its leap. As an imposing and fairly inflexible obstacle it holds the danger of spooking the horse as well as seriously injuring both horse and rider if the jump goes wrong. In the water jump, the horse must clear a fence of a minimum height of three feet only to land in three inches of water. This makes the landing more difficult and requires great confidence in a horse and excellent discipline and control in the jockey.

The open ditch obstacle consists of a fence, hurdle or hedge of at least four feet six inches in height, which has a ditch on the take-off side, forcing the horse to perform a longer jump. This adds difficulty to the already challenging obstacle, making it one of the most daunting on the course. Steeple Chase races are divided into the same categories as the hurdle races above. Bumper Races / Bumpers (National Hunt Flat Races) The bumper races are usually conducted at the end of a jump meeting. They are designed to give young horses, which are not yet experienced enough to enter into hurdling, let along steeple chase races, the opportunity to gain some experience on the track. It is a flat race, meaning that the horses are not required to clear any obstacles. Bumper races are not particularly riveting events, as the pace is slow and the horses not yet skilled enough. However, it is nigh impossible to correctly determine the winner of a bumper race, making it a well-loved challenge for punters. The classical bumper is run over a sprint distance of 13 - 20 furlongs.

The term 'bumpers' was coined in referrence to the equally inexperienced riders competing in the National Hunt flat races; their riding style, as opposed to that of a seasoned jump racing jockey, saw them bumping up and down on horseback, thus giving this little bonus event its name. In addition to the big categories in jump racing, there are a number of sub-categories which may apply to any style of race: The Handicap Race requires the horse to carry extra weight according to its rating in the competition. If a horse rates highly, with a good chance of taking the win, it will be weighed down in order to give the less talented horses a shot at first place. Handicapping, as this practise is referred to, also serves to make the betting more interesting by evening out the odds. A Claiming Race is mainly an effort to keep the trading of race horses fluid and constant. A horse entered into a claiming race can be purchased for a relatively small price until just before the race begins. Should a 'claimed' horse win the race, its winnings are paid out to the previous owner. There are a number of conflicting factors to be considered before entering a horse into a claiming race, as an offer from a buyer may not be refused.

While a high quality horse may be able to take the win easily, the owner runs the risk of losing the horse for much less than its rightful selling price when entering it into a claiming race. In a Selling Race the winner of the race will be put up for auction after the event. Other than in the claiming race there is no set price and the horse's winning performance will mostly ensure a large price to be fetched at the auction. In a selling race the owner of the winning horse stands to walk away with a fair win, made up not only of the purse but also of the profit from the auction. The Maiden Race is reserved for horses who have never won a race - and for who are referred to in the race course lingo as 'maidens'. While they may not be the fastest of races, the maiden races - like the bumpers - offer the excitement of virtually any horse being the potential winner. Finally, the Apprentice Race is an event open only to apprentice jockeys, who get the chance to gain experience on a professional track in a fair competition with their apprentice colleagues. UK Horse Racing Terminology and Jargon Explained in Plain English APPRENTICE: A young jockey contracted to a trainer while learning how to race ride.

BAY: A horse which has a brown body and black mane. BLINKERS: A type of hood that fits over a horse's head to prevent it from seeing sideways and help it concentrate it's attention ahead during a race. BLOWN UP: When a horse starts to drop out of contention during a race due to lack of fitness. BROKEN DOWN: When a horse sustains an injury - normally a tendon or soft tissue injury requiring a long rest to recover. BUMPER: A National Hunt flat race over a distance of 13 - 20 furlongs. NB: 8 furlongs = 1 mile. CHESTNUT: A horse with a "ginger" body, mane and tail. CLAIMER: An apprentice flat race jockey. CLERK OF THE COURSE: The person responsible for the overall management of a racecourse during raceday. COLOURS: A jockey's shirt or 'silks' which identifies the owner of the race horse. COLT: A young, ungelded (see gelding) male horse aged up to four years.

CONDITIONAL JOCKEY: A National Hunt jockey, under 26, who receives a weight allowance for inexperience until he has ridden a certain number of winners. CONDITIONS RACES: Weights carried are determined by the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving weight from older runners, referred to as weight for age; and quality of runners, with horses that have won certain values of races giving weight to less successful entrants. CUT IN THE GROUND: A description of the ground condition, when there is 'give' in the surface, AKA 'soft going'. DISTANCE: The length of a race. Five furlongs is the shortest, four and half miles (The Grand National) the longest. Also refers to the margin by which a horse wins or is beaten. This can range from 'a short head' to 'a distance' which is more than 30 lengths. DRAW: A Flat racing term denoting a horse's position in the starting stalls. DRIFTER: A horse whose betting odds have lengthened. FILLY: A female horse aged up to four years. FORM: Refers to a horse's race record.

Denoted by figures next to it's name on a racecard i.e. 1=1st, 2=2nd etc. FURLONG: The unit of distance in a horse race. One-eighth of a mile or 220 yards or 201 metres. GALLOPING TRACK: Generally a wide-open track that suits bigger horse with big strides i.e. Ascot or Newbury. GELDING: Horses which have been castrated (gelded) as the temperament of a stallion is not usually suited for an extended racing career. GET THE TRIP: Usually said of a horse that is expected to complete the race distance. GOING REPORT: Refers to the condition of the racecourse turf. The turf is classed as Hard, Firm, Good To Firm, Good, Good To Soft, Soft, Heavy. Ideally the course going should be Good. Any changes in the predicited going before or during raceday may result in some trainers withdrawing their horse from a race because they believe it will be at a significant disadvantage. GROUP RACE: Refers to the category of a horse race.

Group One races are the premier class and include the Classics (Derby, The Kentucky Derby, 1000 Guineas). Group Two races also have international prestige and Group Three races are usually domestic races and regarded as being preparation for the higher Groups. Pattern races are designed to ensure competitive horse racing throughout Europe. HACKED UP: When a horse wins easily. HANDICAP: A handicap race in which the the weight each horse has to carry is individually allotted according to it's past performance to make the chances of all horses in the race more equal. See NURSERY JUVENILE: A two year old Flat horse or a three year old National Hunt horse. MARE: A female horse over five years old. NATIONAL HUNT: Racing over fences and hurdles AKA jump racing. NOVICE: A horse which has not won more than two races. NURSERY: A handicap race for two year old horses. OBJECTION: A complaint by one jockey against another regarding a breach of rules during a race. OFF/ON THE BRIDLE: A tired horse reduces his effort and is said to be `off the bridle".

A horse with `plenty of running' still has energy and still in contact with the jockey via the bit and the reins and is said to be still `on the bridle'. OFF THE PACE: When a horse isn't keeping up with the others horses in a race. OVER THE TOP: A horse past his peak for the season. PACE: The speed at which a race is run. Up with the pace means close to the leaders, off the pace means some way behind. PENALTY: Additional weight carried by a horse on account of previous wins. In a handicap, penalties are added to the allotted weight of a horse if it has won since the weights for the race were published. PULLING: A horse that is unsettled during the early part of a race and uses too much energy fighting the jockey by pulling against the bridle. RACING PLATE: Lightweight horseshoes designed for racehorses. SIRE: A horse's father. STAYERS: Horses with a lot of stamina are more likely to perform best over 3 miles, rather than 2 miles over jumps, and over 2 miles on the flat.

horse racing | sport | Britannica.com Horse racing Triple Crown Horse racing, sport of running horses at speed, mainly Thoroughbreds with a rider astride or Standardbreds with the horse pulling a conveyance with a driver. These two kinds of racing are called racing on the flat and harness racing , respectively. Some races on the flat—such as steeplechase , point-to-point , and hurdle races —involve jumping. This article is confined to Thoroughbred horse racing on the flat without jumps. Racing on the flat with horses other than Thoroughbreds is described in the article quarter-horse racing . Camelot (right), ridden by Joseph O’Brien, after beating French Fifteenth to win the Two Thousand … Press Association/AP Horse racing is one of the oldest of all sports , and its basic concept has undergone virtually no change over the centuries. It developed from a primitive contest of speed or stamina between two horses into a spectacle involving large fields of runners, sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment, and immense sums of money, but its essential feature has always been the same: the horse that finishes first is the winner. In the modern era, horse racing developed from a diversion of the leisure class into a huge public-entertainment business.

By the first decades of the 21st century, however, the sport’s popularity had shrunk considerably. A discussion concerning the museum at the racetrack in Saratoga Springs, New York, from the … Great Museums Television (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Early history Knowledge of the first horse race is lost in prehistory. Both four-hitch chariot and mounted (bareback) races were held in the Olympic Games of Greece over the period 700–40 bce. Horse racing, both of chariots and of mounted riders, was a well-organized public entertainment in the Roman Empire. The history of organized racing in other ancient civilizations is not very firmly established. Presumably, organized racing began in such countries as China , Persia, Arabia, and other countries of the Middle East and in North Africa , where horsemanship early became highly developed. Thence came too the Arabian, Barb, and Turk horses that contributed to the earliest European racing. Such horses became familiar to Europeans during the Crusades (11th–13th century ce), from which they brought those horses back.

Similar Topics sledding Racing in medieval England began when horses for sale were ridden in competition by professional riders to display the horses’ speed to buyers. During the reign of Richard the Lion-Heart (1189–99), the first known racing purse was offered, £40, for a race run over a 3-mile (4.8-km) course with knights as riders. In the 16th century Henry VIII imported horses from Italy and Spain (presumably Barbs) and established studs at several locations. In the 17th century James I sponsored meetings in England. His successor, Charles I , had a stud of 139 horses when he died in 1649. Organized racing Charles II (reigned 1660–85) became known as “the father of the English turf” and inaugurated the King’s Plates, races for which prizes were awarded to the winners. His articles for these races were the earliest national racing rules. The horses raced were six years old and carried 168 pounds (76 kg), and the winner was the first to win two 4-mile (6.4-km) heats.

The patronage of Charles II established Newmarket as the headquarters of English racing. In France the first documented horse race was held in 1651 as the result of a wager between two noblemen. During the reign of Louis XIV (1643–1715), racing based on gambling was prevalent. Louis XVI (reigned 1774–93) organized a jockey club and established rules of racing by royal decree that included requiring certificates of origin for horses and imposing extra weight on foreign horses. Organized racing in North America began with the British occupation of New Amsterdam (now New York City ) in 1664. Col. Richard Nicolls , commander of the British troops, established organized racing in the colonies by laying out a 2-mile (3.2-km) course on the plains of Long Island (called Newmarket after the British racecourse) and offering a silver cup to the best horses in the spring and fall seasons. From the beginning, and continuing until the Civil War, the hallmark of excellence for the American Thoroughbred was stamina, rather than speed. After the Civil War, speed became the goal and the British system the model. Match races Ringling Bros.

Folds Its Tent The earliest races were match races between two or at most three horses, the owners providing the purse, a simple wager. An owner who withdrew commonly forfeited half the purse, later the whole purse, and bets also came under the same “play or pay” rule. Agreements were recorded by disinterested third parties, who came to be called keepers of the match book. One such keeper at Newmarket in England, John Cheny, began publishing An Historical List of All Horse-Matches Run (1729), a consolidation of match books at various racing centres, and this work was continued annually with varying titles, until in 1773 James Weatherby established it as the Racing Calendar, which was continued thereafter by his family. Open field racing Turn Up the Heat By the mid-18th century the demand for more public racing had produced open events with larger fields of runners. Eligibility rules were developed based on the age, sex, birthplace, and previous performance of horses and the qualifications of riders.

Races were created in which owners were the riders (gentlemen riders), in which the field was restricted geographically to a township or county, and in which only horses that had not won more than a certain amount were entered. An act of the British Parliament of 1740 provided that horses entered had to be the bona fide property of the owners, thus preventing “ringers,” a superior horse entered fraudulently against inferior horses; horses had to be certified as to age; and there were penalties for rough riding. Contemporary accounts identified riders (in England called jockeys—if professional—from the second half of the 17th century and later in French racing), but their names were not at first officially recorded. Only the names of winning trainers and riders were at first recorded in the Racing Calendar, but by the late 1850s all were named. This neglect of the riders is partly explained in that when races consisted of 4-mile heats, with the winning of two heats needed for victory, the individual rider’s judgment and skill were not so vital.

As dash racing (one heat) became the rule, a few yards in a race gained importance, and, consequently, so did the rider’s skill and judgment in coaxing that advantage from his mount. Bloodlines and studbooks Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest All horse racing on the flat except quarter-horse racing involves Thoroughbred horses. Thoroughbreds evolved from a mixture of Arab, Turk, and Barb horses with native English stock. Private studbooks had existed from the early 17th century, but they were not invariably reliable. In 1791 Weatherby published An Introduction to a General Stud Book , the pedigrees being based on earlier Racing Calendars and sales papers. After a few years of revision, it was updated annually. All Thoroughbreds are said to descend from three “Oriental” stallions (the Darley Arabian , the Godolphin Barb , and the Byerly Turk , all brought to Great Britain, 1690–1730) and from 43 “royal” mares (those imported by Charles II).

The preeminence of English racing and hence of the General Stud Book from 1791 provided a standard for judging a horse’s breeding (and thereby, at least to some degree, its racing qualities). In France the Stud Book Française (beginning in 1838) originally included two classifications: Orientale (Arab, Turk, and Barb) and Anglais (mixtures according to the English pattern), but these were later reduced to one class, chevaux de pur sang Anglais (“horses of pure English blood”). The American Stud Book dates from 1897 and includes foals from Canada , Puerto Rico , and parts of Mexico , as well as from the United States . The long-standing reciprocity among studbooks of various countries was broken in 1913 by the Jersey Act passed by the English Jockey Club, which disqualified many Thoroughbred horses bred outside England or Ireland . The purpose of the act was ostensibly to protect the British Thoroughbred from infusions of North American (mainly U.S.) sprinting blood.

After a rash of victories in prestigious English races by French horses with “tainted” American ancestry in the 1940s, the Jersey Act was rescinded in 1949. Evolution of races Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies The original King’s Plates were standardized races—all were for six-year-old horses carrying 168 pounds at 4-mile heats, a horse having to win two heats to be adjudged the winner. Beginning in 1751, five-year-olds carrying 140 pounds (63.5 kg) and four-year-olds carrying 126 pounds (57 kg) were admitted to the King’s Plates, and heats were reduced to 2 miles (3.2 km). Other racing for four-year-olds was well established by then, and a race for three-year-olds carrying 112 pounds (51 kg) in one 3-mile (4.8-km) heat was run in 1731. Heat racing for four-year-olds continued in the United States until the 1860s.

By that time, heat racing had long since been overshadowed in Europe by dash racing, a “dash” being any race decided by only one heat, regardless of its distance. The modern age of racing The beginning of the modern era of racing is generally considered to have been the inauguration of the English classic races: the St. Leger in 1776, the Oaks in 1779, and the Derby in 1780. All were dashes for three-year-olds. To these races were later added the Two Thousand Guineas in 1809 and the One Thousand Guineas in 1814. (The St. Leger, Derby, and Two Thousand Guineas have come to constitute the British Triple Crown of horse racing.) During the 19th century, races of the English classic pattern—dashes for three-year-olds carrying level weights—spread all over the world. The French classics are the Prix du Jockey Club (1836), the Grand Prix du Paris (1863), and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (1920). Willie Carson guiding Nashwan to win the Two Thousand Guineas in 1989.

Sporting Pictures (UK) Ltd. The American classics are the Belmont Stakes (1867), the Preakness Stakes (1873), and the Kentucky Derby (1875), which make up the American Triple Crown . Since the establishment of the British and American Triple Crown series, scores of countries have instituted their own (less prestigious) Triple Crowns of elite races. Jockey clubs and racing authorities The Jockey Club of Britain , founded at Newmarket about 1750, wrote its own rules of racing. In contrast to the earlier King’s Plates rules, these new rules took into account different kinds of contests involving horses of various ages and were thus more detailed. The new rules originally applied only to Newmarket, but, when the rules were printed in the Racing Calendar, they served as a model for rules throughout Britain. The Jockey Club later acquired the General Stud Book and came to control English racing in the 19th century. Its regulatory powers ended in 2006 when governance over British racing was transferred to the Horseracing Regulatory Authority.

In 2007 power shifted to a new group, the British Horseracing Authority, which formed from a merger of the Horseracing Regulatory Authority and the British Horseracing Board. Trending Topics Eyjafjallajökull volcano France Galop is the organization governing French horse racing. The organization was created in 1995 from the merger of three horse racing authorities: the Société d’Encouragement et des Steeple-Chases de France, the Société de Sport de France, and the Société Sportive d’Encouragement. In the United States the governance of racing resides in state commissions; track operation is private. The (North American) Jockey Club, founded in 1894 in New York , at one time exercised wide but not complete control of American racing. It maintains The American Stud Book. English racing spread to Australia , New Zealand , Canada, South Africa , and India in the 19th century, and many of their governing bodies emulated the British. Thousands of jockey clubs, both local and national, are today present around the world.

Most of the national jockey clubs are members of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, whose annual conference in Paris reviews racing developments and discusses issues related to breeding, racing, and betting. The conference is hosted by the Jockey Club de Paris. Handicap racing One major type of Thoroughbred horse race is the handicap race, in which the weights horses must carry during a race are adjusted in relation to their age (the more immature the horse, the less weight it carries). In this system, a two-year-old, the youngest racer, competes with less weight to carry than a horse that is three years or older. In general, a horse is reckoned as being fully aged at five years and is handicapped accordingly. There are also sex allowances for fillies, so that they carry slightly lower weights than males. Weight penalties or allowances are also provided on the basis of individual horses’ past performance. Such handicaps may be set centrally where racing is so controlled or by individual tracks, the goal being to render all horses as nearly equal as possible by establishing what is called racing form. The handicap race thus represents an outright repudiation of the classic concept that the best horse should win.

Instead, handicaps are assigned with the specific objective of giving all the horses in a race an equal chance of winning. Some handicap races are major sporting events. For instance, the Melbourne Cup , a handicap inaugurated in 1861, is the most important race of the Southern Hemisphere. In the United States the Metropolitan, Brooklyn, and Suburban handicaps—all dating to the 19th century—were once the most valuable American events and remain reasonably comparable to the classics. The Santa Anita Handicap, first run in 1935, pioneered among such races with $100,000 or more purse value. Purse money and stake fees Sponsored races in which much of the purse money is put up by commercial firms include the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Durban July. In the United States most of the purse money for the richest events (offering purses in the millions of dollars) is provided by the stakes fees of the owners. Purses were winner-take-all in the early days of racing, but, as the racing of fields of horses came to predominate, a second prize came to be offered. Gradually, third and fourth prizes were added and occasionally fifth.

On the average, modern-day purses are allocated about 60 percent to the winner, 20 percent to the second-place finisher, 12 percent to the third, 6 percent to the fourth, and 2 percent to the fifth-place finisher. Wagers The same historical progression was followed for wagers, with the bets in early (two-horse) races being simply to win and modern bets being placed on the first three horses (win, place, and show). From private bets, wagering was extended in the 19th century to bookmaking (a bookmaker is a professional bet accepter who tries to set his odds so that a percentage is working in his favour). Later in that century, betting was taken over worldwide by the racetrack managements in the form of the pari-mutuel . This is a common betting pool in which those who bet horses finishing in the first three places share the total amount bet minus a percentage for the management. The pari-mutuel was perfected with the introduction in the 20th century of the totalizator, a machine that mechanically records bets and can provide an almost instant reflection of betting in all pools.

It displays the approximate odds to win on each horse and the total amount of wagering on each horse in each of various betting pools. The customary pools are win, place, and show, and there are such specialty wagers as the daily double (winners of the first two races), perfecta (win and place winners in order in one race), quiniela (as in the perfecta but not in order), and trifecta (win, place, and show winners in order in one race). Other specialty wagers, sometimes offering extremely high payouts, require the bettor to select multiple trifectas, the winners of several races, or the first four horses in one race. As racing became big business, governments entered wagering with offtrack betting, which was very beneficial to racing in Australia, New Zealand, and France and less so in England and New York City. In the United States, illegal bookmaking offtrack became the province of organized crime. Legal offtrack betting parlours proliferated during the late 20th century but were less prevalent in the 21st because of the growth of online gambling and the general decline in horse racing’s popularity.

Racing ages A racehorse achieves peak ability at age five, but the classic age of three years and the escalating size of purses, breeding fees, and sale prices have led to fewer races held with horses beyond age four. There are notable exceptions to this, however. Famous races that admit horses older than three include the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Gran Premio Internacional Carlos Pellegrini in Argentina , the Caulfield and Sydney cups in Australia, the Grande Prêmio São Paulo Internacional in Brazil , the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England, the Gran Premio del Jockey Club and Gran Premio di Milano in Italy, the Emperor’s Cup and Arima Memorial in Japan , the Wellington Cup in New Zealand, the Durban July in South Africa, and the Gran Premio Clásico Simón Bolívar in Venezuela . Breeding theory and practice To be registered as a Thoroughbred, a foal must be the product of a “live cover,” meaning a witnessed natural mating of a stallion and a mare. Though artificial insemination and embryo transfer are possible and common in other horse breeds, it is banned with Thoroughbreds.

The population of the breed is thereby controlled, assuring a high monetary value for the horses in the process. Because each foal is assigned an official birth date of January 1, to facilitate the age groups that define Thoroughbred races, it is important that mares foal as early as possible in the calendar year. This assures maximum development time for the foal before training and racing. The guiding principle for breeding winning racehorses has always been best expressed as “breed the best to the best and hope for the best.” The performance of a breeding horse’s progeny is the real test, but, for horses untried at stud, the qualifications are pedigree, racing ability, and physical conformation. What breeders learned early in the history of horse racing is that crossing bloodlines can potentially overcome flaws in horses. If, for example, one breed is known for stamina and another known for speed, interbreeding the two might result in a healthy mix of both qualities in their offspring.

Racecourses The ownership of racetracks ranges from complete state control, in which case the national government may own the tracks and horses and employ trainers, jockeys, grooms, and other necessary personnel, to complete private enterprise, as in most of the United States, where tracks are privately owned and operated for profit, as are the horses, and trainers and jockeys are independent contractors. In-between conditions include government ownership of tracks and in some cases horses, which are leased, and nonprofit privately owned tracks, as in Australia and the New York Racing Association. Horse racing at the Galway Race Course, Ballybrit, County Galway, Connaught (Connacht), Ireland. Nutan/Tourism Ireland Racetrack stands range from the elegant (Longchamp in France, Ascot in England) to the modest and purely functional (Cologne, the Curragh in Ireland). The same variety is true of the saddling area, the paddock. Most European and other racing surfaces are grass; in North and South America the common surface is dirt, though grass became increasingly popular in the 20th century.

Synthetic racing surfaces, which routinely drain better than natural surfaces and cause fewer fatal injuries, were increasingly installed at racetracks during the 21st century. Racing takes place mainly in the daytime. Older racetracks, mainly European, conform to natural terrain, accommodations for spectators having been added later. The course at Newmarket , for example, can accommodate a race of 2.25 miles (3.6 km) with a gentle change of direction of less than 90 degrees, but spectators cannot see all the race. Newer tracks are elliptical 1-mile- (1.6-km-) long tracks. Racing procedure The eligibility of racers is checked the day before they are raced. Before the race, jockeys weigh out and report to the paddock for instructions by trainers and mount up, the identity of the horses having been checked. Horses and riders proceed to the track in a parade to the post for the stewards ’ (race officials’) inspection and a brief warm-up gallop. Horses are almost universally started from electrically operated starting gates, the horses being walked or led into their stalls prior to the start of the race.

The starter actuates the upward swing of the barrier from the stalls when all are in place. During the race, stewards and patrol judges are alert for racing violations, supplemented by a motion-picture patrol. The finish is photographed by a special camera, and, when the race is close, the picture is awaited before winners are announced. The race’s result does not become official until the jockeys have weighed in and the riders of horses that finished in the money are certified to have carried the proper weight. At weighing in, a jockey, owner, or trainer may claim foul against a horse that interfered with his mount. The judgment of the stewards may result in a horse being lowered in order of finish from first to last. The stewards declare the race official, and then payoffs are flashed on the totalizator. Postrace urine tests are made of winning horses and a sample of the field, and if results show the presence of forbidden substances, the results may be changed on payment of purses but not on bets. Most time records are clustered in North America, where speed has long been a desideratum.

Races in the United States are timed to 1/5 of a second, as opposed to 1/100 of a second elsewhere. Racing silks Colourful racing silks are a familiar element of horse racing, and their introduction dates to the formal organization of the sport in the 18th century. Though they primarily serve an aesthetic purpose in the modern sport, their original use in racing was to allow spectators to distinguish one horse from another during races in an age before television and public-address systems. To this day horse owners must register a unique pattern and set of colours (worn on the jockey’s jacket and helmet cover) with a regulatory board. Racing strategy The earliest American racecourses were typically straight quarter-mile sprints. For these short distances, American jockeys developed a style of riding involving a short stirrup and a crouching posture—this “ American seat ” eventually became standard worldwide for all distances. As longer, elliptical racetracks were built in New York and throughout the South, a greater onus was placed on jockeys to pace their horses.

Because Thoroughbred horses are capable of running only about a quarter of a mile at top speed, determining what pace to set and when to unleash this burst of speed is crucial to winning. The American jockey Isaac Murphy was famous in the 1880s and ’90s for his “grandstand finishes.” Training The training of racehorses, simply expressed, is maintaining a horse in the best condition to run. Exercise and feeding programs and knowledge of the individual horse are factors involved. A good trainer selects a jockey who suits the horse and, perhaps more important, enters the horse in suitable races. A trainer of a horse for a classic race not only must develop the horse into peak condition but must time the development so that the horse reaches its peak on a certain day, which is the most difficult art of all. The state of racing In America, interest in horse racing exploded after the Civil War . By 1890 there were 314 racetracks, operating in nearly every state. Incensed, antigambling coalitions pushed through legislation in most parts of the country, and by 1908 only 25 racetracks remained in operation.

Finally, even New York racetracks were shut down in 1911 when state legislation outlawed quoting of odds, soliciting bets, and recording bets in a fixed place. In response, many owners, trainers, and jockeys shifted their operations to Europe. When New York racetracks reopened in 1913, most of the earlier African American jockeys never returned. Barbaro, ridden by Edgar Prado, racing across the finish line to win the 132nd Kentucky Derby at … Al Behrman/AP During the late 1920s and the ’30s racetracks became an important source of tax revenue, and by the second half of the 20th century horse racing had become big business. Fields regularly numbered a dozen or more. Once race meetings lasted a day or two, later a week or two, and today, particularly where climate allows, races may be scheduled for half the year or more. More racing dates require more horses, and horses are raced more intensively. Purses grew, particularly after World War II .

In 1981 a new American race, the Arlington Million (run at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights , Illinois , outside of Chicago ), was the first million-dollar race. Purses routinely topped this amount in the 21st century, growing to greater than $10 million for certain high-profile races. Where there is gambling, there is cheating, and the history of racing repeats itself with recurrent race fixing and running of ringers. A new threat to the sport arose in the 1960s with the widespread use of anti-inflammatory and coagulant drugs on horses. Various racing bodies limited or forbade the use of such drugs; others did not. Over-racing, particularly in the United States, encouraged their use, and both legal and illegal drug use may explain the higher death rate among American racehorses. (The U.S. Jockey Club reported that about 600 horses died racing-related deaths on U.S. racetracks in 2006, a significantly larger number than those recorded in other countries.) The use of steroids on horses, like their use by star athletes in many sports, came under particular scrutiny in the late 20th century. Animal rights organizations have long criticized horse racing.

Activists have sought to expose horse doping, institute a ban on horse whipping by jockeys, limit the number of races a horse (especially three years old and younger) can run in a season, and eliminate dirt tracks in favour of safer synthetic surfaces. Two notable tragedies in the early 21st century helped propel calls for reform: the shattering of bones in one of Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro’s legs just seconds after the start of the Preakness Stakes in 2006 (the horse was euthanized eight months later) and the death of three horses during production of the TV series Luck (2011–12), a drama about horse racing. (The deaths and subsequent outcry among many viewers helped lead to the abrupt cancellation of the show after just one season.) Such events—augmented by the changing interests of the global sporting public—contributed to the continuing decline in the popularity of horse racing through the first decades of the 21st century. Horse of the Year winners Winners of the Horse of the Year award are listed in the table. Horse of the Year

Question: What is the minimum distance over which a 'steeplechase' is run, in British horse racing?
Answer: TWO MILES